Source: KeSPA

The Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA) announced on Tuesday, the 21st, that it is launching its 2026 school esports initiative, starting with the 'Visiting School Esports Tournament' for middle and high school students across the country.

The 2026 school esports initiative consists of three main programs: ▲National Middle and High School Tournament, ▲Club Instructor Support Program, and ▲Visiting School Esports Tournament. The National Middle and High School Tournament is divided into an 'Open Circuit' to expand participation in grassroots esports and a 'School League' for developing professional players. The Open Circuit is open to any student interested in esports, and winning teams are awarded Youth Points, which can be used to qualify for the national finals. The School League operates as a permanent league during the semester, and participating teams are granted a seed for the national finals.

Separately, Youth Point tournaments will also be held. These are existing tournaments run by local governments or youth organizations that have been designated as official events through an evaluation process, allowing winners to earn Youth Points. The top teams from the Open Circuit and Youth Point tournaments, along with teams from the School League, will compete in the national finals in November and the national championship in December to determine the final winners. The tournament features three titles: League of Legends, Valorant, and Battlegrounds.

The first program of the 2026 school esports initiative to launch is the 'Visiting School Esports Tournament.' This program provides schools lacking esports infrastructure with professional staff and equipment to host in-school tournaments that also serve as career exploration opportunities. Operated with a customized curriculum for each school, the program allows students to plan and run the tournaments themselves, experiencing various esports roles such as player, coach, commentator, and broadcaster.

The Visiting School Esports Tournament will run in two sessions, one in the first half and one in the second half of the year. Applications for the first half are open until Friday, May 15, with the program running from Monday, May 11, to Friday, July 24. For the second half, schools can apply from Friday, July 10, to Friday, August 14, with the program running from Monday, August 31, to Friday, November 20. The tournament features three titles: League of Legends, Valorant, and Brawl Stars. Detailed application instructions are available on the school esports website (school.e-sports.or.kr).

In addition, the Association is launching a support program for school esports club instructors. Professional instructors will be dispatched to middle and high school esports clubs to provide coaching, with both general and specialized programs offered based on the club's goals and skill level. This initiative aims to help students learn positive values and attitudes through their esports activities.

Through these three core programs, the Association plans to support the systematic growth of amateur players while working to revitalize school esports clubs and foster an environment for healthy student hobbies.